


Empty Rooms, Lonely Hearts

by Palatinedreams



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Anal Sex, Bonding, Chess, Christmas Eve, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, Gift of Life, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Hive Mind, Imaginary Worlds, Kindred Spirits, Kissing, Loneliness, Longing, M/M, Mating Bond, Mental bonding, Post Season 5, Romance, Telepathy, Threesome - M/M/M, healing after traumatic experiences, imaginary selves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:47:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28196406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palatinedreams/pseuds/Palatinedreams
Summary: Todd has to stay alone and without his Hive in Atlantis over the Christmas holidays while John is not there to make it any easier for him to settle in among the New Lanteans who are still mistrustful towards him.When he learns by accident that Rodney McKay is feeling as lonely as he himself is feeling, he goes to his quarters one evening to suggest that they keep each other company to feel less lonely.At first things are pretty awkward between them, but soon they become real friends, even more when Rodney offers him to build a Hive mind on their own, which Todd hadn't expected at all.When John finally returns to Atlantis and learns about Todd's regular visits in Rodney's quarters, things between the three of them will change forever in a way Todd had never dared to hope that this could actually happen...
Relationships: John Sheppard/Todd the Wraith, John Sheppard/Todd the Wraith/Rodney McKay, Rodney McKay/Todd the Wraith
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26
Collections: Merry Wraithmas





	Empty Rooms, Lonely Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eos_x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eos_x/gifts).



> For Eos1969,  
> who asked for Todd bonding with a lonely Lantean and some polyamory. Merry Christmas to you!

The mess hall in Atlantis always appeared like a hive of buzzing activity whenever Todd entered it, but it did even more so these days.

The tall Commander stopped in the doorway to observe the hectic chaos unfolding in front of him for a moment, but he didn't get much of a chance to recollect himself as he was pushed to the side rather rudely by two of the many Athosian children that were currently visiting the City of the Ancients.

Todd sighed and made his way over to the last vacant table in the farthest corner of the mess hall to wait there for Richard Woolsey. The civilian leader of Atlantis had summoned him to the mess hall for something he wanted to talk about with him, and he had insisted on this place, even though Todd would very much prefer to visit him in his much quieter office.

Their alliance was still new and fragile, and the one condition Mr. Woolsey on behalf of the IOA and especially Colonel Sheppard as well had insisted on was that Todd spent several weeks in Atlantis – alone - while his Hive was on a mission that forced his crew to cross half of the Pegasus Galaxy. As he was 'the least scary Wraith of the entire alliance' like John had said, he was the one supposed to play nice until even the most skittish New Lantean had lost their fear in the presence of any Wraith. Todd truly doubted that this goal could ever be achieved, but John hadn't given him the chance to object, smiling at him and patting him on his shoulder before he had prepared to leave Atlantis for the next days for another off-world mission and leave Todd alone in the city that was way too bright and loud for him to feel comfortable.

The Marines and scientists sitting at the tables closest to his own one hurried to finish their breakfast, lunch or dinner – depending on their respective shifts – when they saw him sitting down so close to their seats, something Todd had gotten used to in the meantime, but which still angered and even hurt him to some degree.

The Wraith sighed and looked around to watch several men and women balance on tall ladders to attach green twigs and branches to the ceiling of the mess hall. They were totally lost in their task, snickering and giggling like small children, and Todd couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. The twigs were decorated with colorful glittering baubles and other frippery, and the young man and woman stretching to attach one of the green branches to the wall right over the entrance kissed each other all of a sudden with more giggling and some blushing.

“Oh my goodness, can they please stop that?!” A familiar voice coming from the table behind his back caught Todd's attention, and he stilled to listen to the speaker. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was McKay, probably talking to himself, and Todd sat perfectly still in order not to attract the scientist's attention and make him leave like all the others. Only two days had passed since his crew had left the orbit over Atlantis, and the Wraith Commander was already missing their voices in his head badly. He should actually be used to being alone in his head after his long captivity in Kolya's dungeon, but without at least John Sheppard keeping him company, his solitude and the emptiness in his mind was much harder to bear than they were when the dark-haired colonel was around and keeping him distracted and busied.

His mind felt like a huge empty room, the deafening silence where usually the soft humming of the Hive mind was audible causing him a bad headache that not even his healing powers could ease, and he felt as lonely among all those loud humans as he hadn't even felt during his imprisonment.

Thankfully, McKay hadn't noticed him so far and kept murmuring angrily to himself. A human sitting three meters away wouldn't have been able to detect the hushed whisper, but Todd wasn't human, and with his superior sense of hearing it was easy for him to listen to McKay's rambling and detect the words.

“...oh, not _again_. Can they please take that damn mistletoe down again? Yes of course, Meyer and Williams. I really don't know why people are always going crazy about Christmas. It's not any different from any other time of the year. Only that the people who have already felt lonely beforehand will feel even lonelier for the next weeks...”

The human went silent and sniffled, and Todd remembered vaguely that John had told him about Dr. McKay and Dr. Keller having broken up with each other a few days after their return to Pegasus. A couple of months had passed since then already, but the scientist with the astonishing blue eyes and the annoying habit of filling any silence with his bickering and endless monologues was obviously not over this breakup yet and still suffering.

Which was something Todd could understand to some point as he was missing John Sheppard more than he should as well, and it became harder and harder for him to hide his true feelings from the handsome colonel with the messy dark hair and the fascinating hazel-green eyes. So Dr. Rodney McKay was feeling lonely and not looking forward to this Christmas – probably some kind of an important Earthen holiday – and Todd was feeling lonely, too. Maybe there was a way to share their misery and ease the burden of their respective senses of loneliness. Hacking Atlantis' database to find out where McKay's quarters were located would be easy for him, and Todd had done something like that in the past already, he just needed to be careful and not leave any traces of his unauthorized access to this information.

The ancient Commander felt a wave of hope surge through him, and even his throbbing headache eased at the prospect of having someone he could talk to, someone who would understand his own feeling of emptiness and forced solitude that were caused by the absence of his crew and the Hive mind they shared with each other. That McKay was also one of the most intelligent humans Todd had ever met just added as a nice bonus to the whole thing, and Todd bared his teeth to a contented smile right when Woolsey was approaching him. The middle-aged man with the bald head flinched back, and Todd hurried to invite him to sit down and schooled his features back to their usual mask of indifference hastily.

“Mr. Woolsey, please have a seat. There is something you want to talk about?” he opened their conversation, and the civilian leader of Atlantis nodded and lowered himself down onto the edge of his chair, ready to jump back onto his feet and run as fast as he could at any second if the Wraith so much as merely blinked in the wrong way.

Todd sighed; he was really so tired of that. “Mr. Woolsey, please, you're giving a bad example to your charges. I won't feed on you, nor would you be tasty enough to tempt me in any way. Can you please behave like a role model to your people and not look at me like the literal rabbit before a snake?” he asked, and Richard Woolsey had the decency to blush at Todd's pretty rude but also open and sincere request.

“I'll do my very best, Commander,” he murmured indignantly, apparently feeling offended at the statement that he wasn't 'tasty' enough to be fed upon, and Todd suppressed a scornful snort and inclined his head in acknowledgment.

“I'd appreciate that very much. So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

“Yeah, well, I guess you have already noticed our special decoration. I wanted to tell you about our most important Earthen holiday, it's called Christmas, and we here in Atlantis want to keep up the tradition...” Woolsey started to explain, and Todd listened carefully to him, hoping that he could use some of his newly gained knowledge to impress Dr. McKay with it when he visited him in his quarters tonight.

*~*~*

Todd was surprised how nervous he felt when he was standing before McKay's quarters later that day. Night had already fallen over the tall and lean towers of the city and the calm ocean, but the Commander was sure that the scientist with the sky-blue eyes was still awake. McKay had withdrawn rather early, probably to avoid the whole Christmas craziness that was going on in the entire city, but the quiet sounds coming from inside the quarters told the Wraith that the man hadn't gone to bed so far.

Todd pressed the door chime and waited, but nothing happened. He waited for a few more seconds before he tried it again, and he was about to turn around and leave again, disappointment lying heavy in his stomach like a large brick. The one condition for his stay in Atlantis he had insisted on was that he could walk through the corridors without guards following him everywhere, and that John wouldn't even think of chaining him again. He usually found the hallways deserted when he was strolling through them, though, and sometimes he actually mused about asking Woolsey to yet provide him with two guards as this would hopefully convince the humans that he was no threat to them. It was strange that on one hand he found the city to be too crowded - but on the other hand yet craved the company of another being so much because he felt so empty at the same time.

The Wraith sighed and turned around to make his way back to his own quarters – at least he didn't have to stay in a prison cell any longer but was granted some privacy – when the door to McKay's room opened all of a sudden, causing him to face the man whose company he was seeking.

“Todd?!” The scientist stood there, dressed in loosely fitting pants and a simple white shirt, his hair glistening damp in the dim light of the corridor. “What can I do for you this late?” McKay frowned and took a step back when he saw that they were alone and no one would come to his help right in time if the Wraith decided that he was hungry and wanted to enjoy a late night snack.

“Well, Wraith don't need to sleep at night like we humans do, right? Look, whatever it is you want me to work on tonight, maybe it can wait until tomorrow because I'm really tired and...” the human rambled on when Todd didn't reply and just continued to stare at him, and Todd straightened his shoulders and interrupted him before McKay could start another monologue.

“I actually came here because I'd gotten the impression that you feel lonely and require some company, Dr. McKay,” he said, regarding the man with glittering golden eyes. McKay's face color changed from rosy to snow-white and then purple-red before he paled again, and his natural scent spiced up to a heavier note that was a mixture of the acid stench of the usual mortal fear each human experienced in the presence of a Wraith – well, each human except for John Sheppard – and the musky fragrance of excitement. It was a rather sharp but not unpleasant smell, and Todd unconsciously inhaled it deeply and with flaring nostrils and sensor pits.

“You came for what?! Keeping me company? But why would you want to do that?” McKay sputtered dumbfounded at last, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “If you think that I will give you information about Atlantis and her security system, then you are mistaken, Todd. I surely won't do that!” he snapped as he was trying to bring some sense into the weird situation he found himself in, his mistrust about Todd's real motives evident in his voice.

“I did not come here for something like that, nor would I think of betraying Colonel Sheppard's trust in me like this. I can see that my visit is not welcome, so I will leave you again. Goodnight, Dr. McKay,” Todd replied as he tried to keep the last shreds of his dignity together, and he'd already walked for a few meters when McKay's voice stopped him again.

“I'm sorry, Todd, I... I would actually appreciate to have some company if your offer still stands...” He sounded uncertain and small, and Todd hesitated because he still felt hurt, but his longing to talk to someone who didn't look at him as if he were a monster was too strong to ignore it. He nodded his head and crossed the distance until he was standing right in front of the smaller human. He had to give McKay some credit that the man didn't flinch away from him this time, and he hoped that his smile didn't look too much like a grimace to his counterpart when he said:

“Yes, it does, Dr. McKay. Maybe we can just sit together and talk for a while?”

Todd knew that most people didn't take the scientist for the attentive and sensitive type of guy, but he had gotten the chance to watch his reaction and behavior over the course of time they already knew each other, and Rodney McKay's demeanor mostly came from his uncertainty and low self-esteem, and not from any lack of sensitivity.

“You miss your Hive, don't you? Come in, we can keep each other company and feel lonely together. Share our misery,” Rodney now said sympathetically, and he returned Todd's smile with a small but honest one of his own. It made his eyes sparkle and softened his features in a way that was drawing Todd in.

“Thank you, Dr. McKay,” Todd rumbled, stepping over the threshold, and the door closed behind him with a quiet hiss.

*~*~*

“Uhm, please have a seat!” McKay started to hectically grab some clothes that had been lying on one of the two chairs, and Todd watched him running back and forth and murmuring to himself with something akin to scientific curiosity. He was still standing behind the chair Rodney had pulled for him when the ruffled looking human slowed down at last, pressing himself against the wall in the corner opposite from the table and the chair.

“Are you still feeling afraid of me, Dr. McKay?” Todd asked, feeling utterly exhausted all of a sudden. He was rather freshly fed and shouldn't feel this tired, but his emotional state left him drained and almost feeling depressed.

“I shouldn't be afraid of you, should I? I mean, you didn't come here to... eat me, did you?”

Todd sat down onto the chair at last, his motions lacking the usual elegance and grace when he did so. “No, Dr. McKay, that's not what I came here for. I heard you talking about Christmas today and that this holiday makes you feel even lonelier than you already feel anyway, and as I find myself to be in a similar state, I thought that we could spend some time together and maybe even get to know each other better.”

The scared human looked at him with big eyes, and he relaxed ever so slightly as he listened to Todd, his fists unclenching as he took a few cautious steps forward.

“I value you as the skilled and highly intelligent scientist you are, Dr. McKay, and you don't need to fear that I shall try feeding on you. Colonel Sheppard and I agreed on an alliance, and Atlantis with all her inhabitants is Hive to me now, so none of her residents need to fear that I or my crew will feed on any of you.”

“I see. How can Atlantis be Hive for you?” McKay asked, forgetting his fear and making his way to sit down on the vacant chair and regard Todd with newly awakened interest. “You can't connect with her, can you?”

“No, I can't. Not like I can connect with my Hive at least. But as she is a sentient city, I can sense her presence – and even the state she is in to some extent.”

“Oh, I didn't know that. That's interesting.” McKay was absently playing with a pen that had been lying on the table top. “Sheppard can connect with her. I don't know how he's doing that, but he can somehow talk to her. Not just dim the lights with a mental command like the others who have either the natural gene or gotten the treatment like I have, but really 'talk' to her.” The blue-eyed scientist sounded wistful, and a little bit envious, and Todd nodded his head.

“Yes, I know. Sometimes he appears to be more Ancient than just human,” he gave back, and McKay raised his head to regard him.

“I've been thinking the same, but John doesn't like it when someone tells him that.” he tilted his head to the side. “Can you connect with him, mentally, I mean? Teyla can connect with Wraith, but does it work the other way round as well? Queens can do that, and usually it's not a pleasant experience, but how about you?”

Todd thought that they were entering dangerous terrain here, but the human seemed to have lost his reservations and fear at last, and it might also be a good thing that he showed some interest in Todd's abilities and those of Wraith in general.

“Queens can force themselves into the minds of other Wraith and humans, yes. Male Wraith usually can't do that with humans, only high ranking officers and Commanders who have gone through a long training. But we can connect with a human if we are invited to initiate such a contact and the human participant is not fighting against the mental bonding, Dr. McKay,” he explained, watching the other male's reaction closely.

“Rodney – or Meredith if you prefer that. I hate that name, but my sister Jeannie always calls me Meredith, so if you like that better...” McKay's voice trailed off, and Todd stared at him in surprise.

“Pardon me?” he asked, and his human host shrugged his shoulders in a tired gesture.

“Well, you came here to ask whether or not we could keep each other some company, and if someone had told me just a few days ago that I would invite a Wraith into my quarters and socialize with them, I would have questioned their state of mind. But here we are, sitting together and talking, and as you only have one 'first name' I can address you with, it's only fair that you'll get to call me by my first name as well, isn't it? My parents named me Meredith Rodney, and I usually prefer Rodney, but my sister Jeannie always calls me by my first name Meredith and not the second one Rodney, and as I am in a gracious mood tonight, you can choose which name you like better – Todd.”

“I see.” Todd inclined his head and regarded the man thoughtfully and with a feeling he recognized as joy about McKay's unexpected but very much appreciated concession. “Which of these two names is Colonel Sheppard using to address you?” he inquired after a moment. He remembered that the dark-haired colonel usually called his friend and team member by his surname when they were on a mission, but maybe it was different when they were off duty and alone with each other.

McKay pulled a face and shrugged his shoulders again. “Sheppard mostly calls me McKay. But he knows that I don't like Meredith, so he calls me Rodney if he's addressing me with my first name.”

“Then it will be Rodney for me as well,” Todd decided, and he was rewarded with another genuine smile that lit up Rodney's features and made warmth spread out in the Wraith's abdomen. It had been the right decision to come here and spend some time with McKay, and Todd hoped that they could do that more often and perhaps even develop some kind of friendship with each other. It was still a rather poor substitute for the Hive mind and the mental bond with his crew he was missing so badly, but it was much better than being alone and on his own the whole time, and according to Rodney's expression, he was as grateful about Todd's visit as he himself felt.

“Okay, you were about to tell me more about your mental abilities and how you can connect with human minds,” Rodney reminded him almost eagerly. “I have once been in a situation after the contact with a device that should help humans to ascend, and telepathy was one of the things I experienced back then. There is nothing left of it, but these things are still fascinating to me...”

Todd was as eager to keep their talk going for a while longer, and he started to talk about the Hive mind and how it felt to bond with another mind, bathing in the undivided attention Rodney was gifting him with. The evening went by quickly this way, and when Todd finally left him after three hours, they shared a smile and fixed another date for the next evening.

The Commander made his way back through the deserted corridors and hallways in a much better mood than he'd been in just three hours ago, and for the first time since he had watched his Hive leave the orbit over the city, his mind didn't feel like a far too big empty room any longer. The feeling of loneliness had eased and faded a bit as well, and Todd was very much looking forward to the next evening and spending some more hours in Rodney's company, something he hadn't thought possible just half a day ago.

*~*~*

Todd spent most of the next day working on the badly needed solution for the feeding problem together with Dr. Beckett, and he was grateful that Dr. Keller had been called to another planet to help the settlers there after the outbreak of the flu when the Scottish physician asked him about the things he was doing in his free time. Whether Beckett was merely trying to be polite and do some small talk – or really interested in him wasn't really clear, but Todd was still grateful that the human doctor was not as hostile and overbearing like so many other New Lanteans were whenever they had to deal with him.

“It must be hard for you without your crew and some familiar faces,” Dr. Beckett mused aloud as he was bending over the microscope to examine one of the probes from the alternated retro-virus. “...without the mental bond, alone in your head,” he added after a moment, shooting his Wraith co-worker a brief sidelong glance.

“There are a lot of faces that have become familiar to me over the course of time, Dr. Beckett.” Todd replied, not bothering to keep the hint of mockery out of his voice. “Colonel Sheppard for example, Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex – even Mr. Woolsey is more than just a random acquaintance now. Wraith possess a photographic memory, we always recognize and remember the faces we have once seen – even when it was only for a short moment.”

The ancient Commander wasn't sure why he hadn't mentioned Rodney, but their cautious approach to get to know each other better from the previous evening was like a precious treasure to him, and he wanted to keep this treasure to himself for a while longer.

Dr. Beckett was far too attentive for Todd's liking, because he let go of the microscope to regard his unusual assistant silently for a moment. “Colonel Sheppard isn't here at the moment to help you feel more comfortable and less like a rare exhibit, and you know quite well what I meant when I was talking about familiar faces.”

Todd sighed but inclined his head in resigned agreement. “Yes, I probably do, Dr. Beckett. I appreciate your concern about my well-being, but you need not worry about me. I have lived without the familiar voices of my brethren in my head for more than ten years, a few more weeks until my Hive will return here don't really matter much after that experience.”

“If you say so, lad.” Beckett didn't sound convinced, and he looked doubtful, but he didn't push the issue, for which Todd was deeply grateful. It took him some time to realize that the human who was so young compared to his own age had just called him 'lad' like he was always doing with his patients and friends, and Todd felt oddly touched and comforted.

“I am fine, Dr. Beckett,” he felt obliged to ease the man's honest concern about his well-being, “so please don't concern yourself. As finding a cure for the aging process of the feeding is crucial for our alliance, I suggest that we resume our work now.”

Dr. Beckett observed him for another few seconds, but then he sighed and nodded his head. “Of course, Commander. You can find me here most of the time, day or night – if you want to talk.”

“Thank you, Dr. Beckett. I might take you up on your offer perhaps.” Todd bent over the microscope to take a look at the probe. “This probe looks promising, don't you think so?” he then changed the topic of their conversation.

“Yes, it does, and please call me Carson,” Beckett murmured absently as he concentrated on the probe again, too. Todd blinked in surprise and stared at his back. The Scottish doctor was the second New Lantean after Rodney who had asked him to use his first name now, something Todd hadn't expected to ever happen. He would take it as a good sign though, and the rest of the day went by quickly in Carson's calm and pleasant company until it was finally time to finish their work and pay a certain blue-eyed genius another visit again.

*~*~*

Todd had barely pressed the door chime when the door to Rodney's quarters already opened, and Todd stepped inside curiously when he saw that his date for the evening was already waiting for him at the set-up table.

“Uhm, hi, there you are, punctual, that's nice. It's always good to be punctual, isn't it?” Rodney began to ramble immediately, and to his own amazement, Todd felt more amused and charmed than annoyed at the human's familiar habit to cover his nervousness tonight.

“It would be impolite to let you wait, so of course I am punctual, Rodney,” the Wraith greeted him politely, “I hope your day was as pleasant as mine.”

His last sentence let a rather displeased frown appear between Rodney's brows, and Todd wondered silently if he would ever learn the finesses of human small talk. This attempt had clearly failed to have the desired effect of calming the upset human down, and he was still searching for another polite remark when the human sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Well, actually not. Half of my team is on holiday because they want to spend Christmas with their families on Earth, and the other half is too dense to understand even the simplest equations. One of them, Sullivan, managed to delete my work from the past three days from my computer, and now I have to do everything for a second time. I'm so tired, I can't even tell you!” Rodney murmured, and he looked indeed tired, his eyes red-rimmed as he peered up at Todd.

The Wraith felt a pang of regret, but he forced himself to smile. “I will leave you then so you can rest, Rodney. We can spend another evening together, when you feel less exhausted.”

Rodney's frown deepened, and he shook his head vigorously. “Oh no, please, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just frustrated and needed to vent a bit. At least one of us had a pleasant day. To be honest, the thought of your visit was the only thing that helped me through my much more awful day.” Rodney blushed, and Todd was intrigued how expressive his face always was.

“Is that so? I am glad that the prospect of seeing me again was a consoling thought to you. I assume that you don't fear that I shall try feeding on you any longer, then?”

“No, I'm not afraid of you any longer, Todd. I'm surprised about that myself, and maybe I am stupid, but I don't care about being stupid and perhaps too trustful tonight. So why don't you sit down? I found a bottle of wine I had forgotten that I still had it, but I don't know whether or not Wraith drink alcohol, so if you don't want to drink wine with me, it's okay, I just thought...”

“Rodney.”

“Uhm, yes?”

“I would love to have a glass of wine in your company.” Todd took the offered seat, and the already familiar spicy scent of Rodney's excitement filled his nose.

“You would? Oh, great! Just let me open the bottle...” Todd watched the blue-eyed human fiddle with the bottle, and he suppressed the urge to just take it out of his trembling fingers and open it for him. It was clear to see that Rodney needed something to do to calm down again, and so he averted his eyes from his red face to regard the board game on the table instead. Todd at least assumed that it was a board game, small white and black squares building a symmetric pattern on the wooden board. Rodney had arranged differently looking black and white tokens in two rows on the board opposite to each other, and the Wraith found himself looking forward to learning this game.

“What kind of game is that?” he wanted to know, and Rodney, busied with filling two glasses with the sparkling liquid, grinned in anticipation.

“It's called chess, and it's a game of strategy. This here, the biggest token is the 'king', and you have to try and defeat my king to win this game. This one is the queen, and these are the pawns...”

Todd found it pretty weird that the king was more important than the queen, but as most human societies and cultures he knew were actually patriarchal societies, it was no surprise that it was the same on Earth.

“Sheppard knows this game as well,” Rodney rose him from his musings, and if Todd hadn't already been keen to learn chess before that statement, then he would definitely be eager to learn it after that information.

“I would like to learn this game,” he announced, and Rodney's grin widened so much that his mouth must hurt from being stretched like this.

“Great, I'd hoped that you would say that. Well, let's try it, shall we?” he handed Todd one of the glasses and clinked them together. “Cheers, Todd.”

“Cheers, Rodney.” Todd smiled at him, enjoying how easily he could make the human blush. He sipped from the alcohol and listened carefully when Rodney started to explain the different tokens and how to use them, and he thought that this evening promised to become even better than the last one had been.

Maybe spending several weeks in Atlantis wouldn't be as boring and lonesome as he'd feared, and Rodney McKay was a much more pleasant and nice companion than Todd had expected him to be. The emptiness in his mind was still there, palpable and painful, but here in Rodney's quarters, drinking wine with him and playing chess made it be less dreadful and more bearable, and this was much more than Todd had expected find here.

*~*~*

Todd soon found out that chess was a game that could even challenge an experienced Wraith Commander, and playing it with such a genius mind as Rodney's was actually a real pleasure. It allowed Todd to forget the painful emptiness in his mind for a few merciful hours, and the alcohol dulled the feeling of loneliness to a vague ache in his heart which he could ignore for a while. This game had also a very welcome side-effect and silenced Rodney's nervous rambling, something the Wraith was deeply grateful for. It calmed the blue-eyed human down after a tiring and awful working day, and it made Rodney actually re-tell the events of the past hours and share his knowledge and thoughts with Todd instead of just complain and whine about everything.

Todd returned the favor and answered Rodney's shy and curious questions about Wraith technology - and how it was possible to link the organic structure of Hives with said technology in such a way that it became the real unique entity which seemed to fascinate and scare the human in equal measures.

Their evenings became a very welcome habit over the next days, and Todd was pleased to see that Rodney lost his initial fear and shyness with each following evening they spent together. He didn't flinch away from his touch any longer, and sometimes he would even make a joke and laugh about the jokes Todd made in return.

Sheppard was still absent.

The colonel had come back to Atlantis from a rescue mission that had required soldiers but no scientists – the reason why Rodney hadn't accompanied him to the planet – but he'd barely finished showering and lunch before a message from the Stargate Center on Earth had made him leave again. His brother had had an accident, and even though the two Sheppard brothers didn't really get along with each other, at least according to what Rodney told him, but John had yet felt obliged to visit Earth and stay at Dave's side for the time being.

Todd knew that it wasn't Sheppard's fault, but the only reason why Todd had actually agreed to the condition that he spent several weeks in Atlantis without any other Wraith to keep him company had been the hope that he would get the chance to finally come closer to the most fascinating human he'd ever met, and that their complicated and still fragile relationship would reach the next level and become more than the hate-respect-brotherbond-allies that it had developed into over the years after their first fateful encounter.

But John Sheppard wasn't there to make these weeks any easier for him, and the only one Todd could actually turn to and open up to was Rodney McKay, Sheppard's best friend and the most intelligent human in Atlantis. He and Rodney were in similar circumstances, both separated from the rest of the crew and expedition members because of their own position and status. Todd was the Commander-in-chief of several Hives, and showing any sign of weakness would cost him his hard earned title and status and make his sub Commanders challenge him and rebel against him like his unworthy second had done it.

Rodney's brilliant mind and genius made it almost impossible for him to find someone who truly understood him among the New Lanteans, except for Sheppard and perhaps Dr. Beckett. Sheppard wasn't there, and Dr. Beckett worked closely together with Rodney's ex girlfriend Dr. Keller, so Todd was the only one left for him he could really talk to as well.

Todd had to admit that at first it had just been the lesser of two evils for him, either being alone all of the time or put up with the only human with a similar intelligence as he himself possessed, but who was usually getting on his nerves pretty soon with his constant need to talk.

But when more than a week had passed and Todd had visited him in his quarters each night, he realized that it meant much more to him now and that Rodney had actually become his friend. If the sparks of joy in those blue eyes were anything to go by with, then Rodney felt the same way about him and considered him as a true friend now as well.

“I knew that it was a mistake to teach you chess,” Rodney now said, staring at the board with a deep frown creasing his forehead. “How can it be that you're already about to win again?”

“Because you haven't really paid attention to my moves, human. Something is weighing on your mind, I can see that.” Todd moved his queen and Rodney groaned and put his king token down onto its side.

“I hate you. I won't play with you anymore,” he threatened, but Todd knew that he didn't really mean it.

“No, you don't hate me. You're angry with yourself that you have lost, but you will play with me again. You always will.”

“Hmm, maybe.” Rodney chewed on his lip, and Todd waited. He took the tokens to put them back into their wooden box, and he could feel Rodney's eyes on his face. “Do you want to talk about what's bothering so much?” he finally asked when the silence stretched between them and Rodney's scent spiked up with distress. “You need not fear that I will react badly or be angry.”

“Promise?” Rodney asked, his voice unusual small, and Todd looked up and regarded him more closely.

“You have my word, Rodney,” he assured him, and he was more than just a little bit curious now.

“Hmm, if you say so... Do you remember our talk about the Hive bond you share with your crew? Well, forget that, of course you do, you have a photographic memory. You remember everything I've ever said, right?”

Todd let out a snort of amusement. “I try my best to remember only the really important and interesting things, human. Remembering _all_ of your... verbal output would be too much even for a Wraith, believe me.”

“Hey, we're in _my_ quarters, you are supposed to be nice to me, Mr. Wraith Commander!”

“And what will you do if I'm not, human?” Todd rumbled, enjoying their lighthearted banters which never failed to chase the emptiness in his mind away.

“Throw you out and leave you standing before the door the next time you visit me.”

“I see. But who will play chess with you then until Colonel Sheppard is finally back?” Todd retorted, and there was a sudden sharp pain in his abdomen when he spoke out Sheppard's name. Rodney's expressive features softened when he saw the expression on Todd's face the Commander couldn't suppress fast enough.

“You miss him, don't you?” he asked, his voice quiet and sober now, all teasing gone from it within the blink of an eye. He didn't wait for Todd's reply as his question had actually been a statement and not a real question, and so he continued to speak in a thoughtful tone, more talking to himself than to his Wraith companion.

“I miss him, too. He's the closest thing to a best friend I've ever had, but it must be much harder for you. You're alone here, stuck not only in a city with people who still fear and mistrust you, but also stuck alone in your head. I know that you only agreed to that because Sheppard was supposed to be here as well during your stay and make it easier for you, but he isn't, and the only one left for you is a highly intelligent but socially totally awkward outsider who talks too much and has all kinds of weird quirks no one else wants to put up with.”

Rodney sounded calm and emotionless as he characterized himself, he was simply stating a matter of fact and not whining or complaining this time. A couple of weeks ago, Todd had probably agreed to his description of himself, but he'd come to know his friend much better this past week, and he returned the man's gaze openly.

“I will always choose your company over the company of anyone else living here in Atlantis, Rodney.”

“Except Sheppard.” There was something in those blue depths of Rodney's eyes Todd couldn't really detect, and it was gone before he had the chance to do so. He chose to be honest though and nodded his head.

“Not over Sheppard, but over anybody else.”

“Well, thank you, that actually means a lot to me... Plus, I appreciate your honesty.”

“You would choose Sheppard's company over mine, too,” Todd observed, and the human shrugged his shoulders.

“Probably. At least I have a real chance to win against him when we're playing chess together.” Rodney paused, fiddling with his empty glass. “But back to your earlier question and our talk a week ago. I have been thinking a lot about what you've told me about your bond with your crew, and how difficult it is for you to live without their voices in your head. I remembered my own experiences with telepathy when I almost ascended, and since you said that you can connect with the mind of humans if they invite you in and don't fight against it, I thought that I would like to give it a try – only if you want that, too, I mean...”

There was such a rush of excitement and gratitude washing over Todd that he could hardly breathe for a moment. Rodney probably didn't even know what he'd just offered to him as starved and desperate as he was to feel the touch of another mind in his empty brain again – even when it was the mind of a human and not the familiar warmth of one of his own brethren. Maybe it wouldn't even work because most humans didn't have the ability to open their minds in the way Todd would need them to do to establish a real bond, but the prospect of trying it and teaching Rodney how to respond mentally to him made his heart beat faster in his chest.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it,” Rodney murmured uncertainly after a moment when Todd didn't react to his proposal, clearly taking his stunned silence the wrong way, and Todd gave him a smile and a look filled with gratitude.

“I didn't expect such a generous offer, Rodney, but I appreciate it very much. I would be honored if you allowed me to bond with you and connect our minds.”

“Really?” Rodney returned his smile almost shyly, and his cheeks colored with warmth. “Can we try it now? What do I have to do?”

“Are you sure that you really want that, human?” Todd asked him again, because he needed to be sure that Rodney truly wanted it and wasn't just trying to be polite. It was risky and could damage their newly found friendship if the scientist wasn't absolutely sure that he required their mental bond as much as Todd actually craved it.

The redness in his cheeks increased, but Rodney's voice was firm and the expression in his eyes was confident when he nodded his head.

“Yes, I do, Todd. Teach me how to connect with your mind.”

The Wraith inclined his head. “As you wish, my friend.”

*~*~*

“Lean back in your chair and sit comfortably. Put your palms onto the table top, you will need something to ground you, and feeling the table under your hands will help you against the dizziness that you will probably experience at first.” Todd instructed his eager student, and Rodney obeyed, leaning back in his chair with his flat hands on the table. He straightened his shoulders and inhaled a deep breath.

“Like that?”

“Yes. Now close your eyes and relax your body. When you feel relaxed enough to accept our connection, imagine that your mind is a door you want to open for me.” Todd unconsciously held his breath as he watched the most astonishing human next to Sheppard he'd ever met doing as he'd been told, his eyes closing slowly and his breath calming down. The ancient Commander had come to know the genius scientist pretty well over the last years and especially over the past week; and he was aware that sitting motionless and silent on a chair with closed eyes while a possibly lethal enemy was watching him from just a meter away was nothing that came naturally to Rodney – and all in all a truly amazing display of trust that made him feel humble.

As a naturally strong and very experienced telepath Todd didn't need to close his eyes, and he found himself taking in the sight of Rodney's expressive face greedily, so open and vulnerable in this moment like it never was when other people were around.

Not even in the company of Sheppard and their team. It made the Wraith feel proud, and he couldn't hold himself back any longer and reached out for the invisible thread of Rodney's thoughts that was drawing him to the human like a moth was drawn to the light that would burn it if it came too close.

Rodney frowned with the effort not to fight against the invasion of another mind, and Todd, too impatient and hasty after the long time he'd gone without the Hive bond each Wraith craved, felt like running against a hard stonewall and backed away with a pained gasp.

“I'm sorry,” his inexperienced and fragile human companion ground out. “I'm doing my best, but I can't open the 'door' for you... Don't know why...” he kept his eyes closed as he tried to concentrate on this difficult task, and Todd made another attempt to link their thoughts without hurting the human he'd come to care about deeply since their first evening together.

“I won't hurt you,” he rumbled, and Rodney nodded.

“I know. It's just so different from what I remember... Wait, I think I have an idea. The door was what disturbed me. Yes, that's much better! Try it again now...”

Todd did, and his eyes fell shut of their own accord when he reached out again, hoping that Rodney would be able to let him in.

This time there wasn't a wall blocking his way, and Todd's lips curled into a smile when he 'saw' the perfect solution his genius human friend had found with his mental eyes. Of course Rodney McKay wouldn't open a simple door for him, that was not how his brilliant mind was working. He should have thought of the much better working image himself, and Todd shook his head about his own stupidity as his mental self climbed the few steps up to the Stargate with the open wormhole, the blue waves of the event horizon swallowing him with a slurping sound just like the real Stargate always did.

Todd stepped through it, and when he reached the other side of the open gate, he stopped to look around, overwhelmed by what he could see and feel.

*~*~*

Todd had been linked with a human mind a couple of times in his long life so far, and it had never been a truly pleasant experience to him. The mind of an untrained human was usually a chaotic mess that gave him a terrible headache and made him feel sick quickly. It had been different with the Lantean he'd once bonded with ten thousand years ago, but this experience didn't really count as the Lantean scientist had been close to ascending and perfectly in control of himself.

Humans thought in images mixed with words like Wraith did, too, but they couldn't keep their emotions at bay and in the background of such a mental bond like Wraith learned to do quickly after the first initial bonding with the Hive mind of their first Hive. Queens usually controlled the first contact of a young or new Wraith with her Hive and her crew very carefully, and they trained their Commanders to develop the same mental strength and abilities in their absence, but only few male Wraith reached the same level of power and control as queens possessed by nature.

Todd was one of them, but it was much harder to control a mental connection with a head-blind and untrained human and channel their emotions to make the overwhelming flood of chaotic feelings more bearable.

The Wraith wasn't quite sure what he had expected to find in his first mental connection with the genius blue-eyed scientist, but considering Rodney's behavior and his silly rambling when he was forced to be sociable, Todd definitely hadn't expected to find such beauty, peace and order. He also realized quickly that he had underestimated Rodney's true intelligence despite all the evidence of his genius brilliance he'd witnessed so often. Where the mind images of other humans were like small rooms stuffed and filled with all sorts of things and furniture, Rodney's was like an open field or meadow under the vast night sky with thousands of blinking stars and without any restraints, limits or barriers.

Todd stepped away from the Stargate to walk around and look up at the sky and the stars, and his throat tightened with the memory of how he'd felt when he'd seen the stars and the moon for the first time again after ten years of horror and agony in Kolya's bunker. A perfectly rounded silver moon was shining down on him from the center of the sky, and Todd couldn't avert his eyes from it as he drank in the sense and feeling of quiet and freedom that the sight of the beautiful moon aroused in him.

A soft rustling beside him broke the spell at last, and when he looked to the side, Rodney was standing beside him. He looked a bit different from his physical self, showing the image Rodney had of himself instead. He smiled at him, and Todd inclined his head and smiled back at him.

_'Welcome here, I guess. It feels strange to have you here.'_

_'Does it hurt you? I will leave again if you want me to.'_ Todd offered, even though everything inside him screamed to stay here for much longer and let the warm night breeze play with his long silvery hair.

_'No, don't leave. I like having you here. Sorry for the warmth, I can lower the temperature, but I start to freeze so easily, I like it better when it's warm. Sheppard never understands that.'_

_'No, that is not necessary. Wraith can adjust to heat and cold better than humans, thank you.'_ Todd shook his head. It was Rodney's mind, the imaginative world he'd created for his own comfort, and Todd was his guest and would accept the human's conditions for their first mental bonding without making any demands of his own.

 _'Hmm, I see. What would you like to do then? Take a walk and have me show you around? I'm sorry, my mind must be a terrible mess for you.'_ the mental Rodney said, and Todd took another look around before he smiled at him.

_'I have bonded with other humans before you, and I must admit that I did not expect to find such beauty. Your response to me is astonishing and unique, but we still need to be careful at the beginning. Maybe we can just lie in the grass and watch the stars for a while?'_

Rodney beside him nodded and made an inviting gesture with his hand. _'Yes, let us lie in the grass for a while. Watching the stars is so soothing, isn't it?'_

 _'Yes, it is.'_ Todd lay down beside him, and for a while they were content with lying in the grass side by side and looking at the sky without talking. Their mental touch was still rather light and Todd didn't try to deepen the contact and read the thoughts Rodney was still keeping to himself. He was utterly grateful that the human had offered him such a bond, and even the light contact already filled the emptiness in his mind and eased the pain. For the first time since he'd found himself stranded in the city he didn't feel lonely and like the hated outsider any longer.

His gaze wandered to the beautiful moon again, and whereas some of the stars had moved like it was to be expected, but the moon was still hanging in the center of the sky, right above their heads. Todd regarded the moon in astonishment because it was so unlike Rodney and his genius mind to disregard and ignore the laws of physics like that.

He frowned as he tried to solve the puzzle, and the steady flow of his thoughts faltered. Rodney beside him shifted when he noticed the change, and then realization hit Todd and everything became perfectly clear.

The moon was in the center of Rodney's imaginative world because it wasn't a real moon at all. It was a substitute for something – or better for someone – for someone very special to both of them.

This beautiful silver moon was actually John Sheppard, and Rodney felt the same way about Sheppard as Todd did.

*~*~*

Later, in the quiet of his own quarters, Todd spent two hours standing motionless before the window to look outside and let the evening and their mental connection re-pass in his memory. His experience and self-control had helped him keeping his sudden insight to himself and not reveal to his human friend that he knew about his secret and his hidden feelings for Sheppard. Hurting or humiliating Rodney was the last thing he wanted after all his friend had done for him, but here and now, alone in his quarters and hidden from prying eyes he had a hard time fighting against his inner turmoil.

The tall Wraith stared over the dark towers of the ancient city with unseeing eyes as he asked himself how he could have been so blind and not see the obvious. How Rodney's pupils dilated whenever he looked at Sheppard, how his scent became heavy with musk and how he always sought the other man's approval so desperately.

It was probably because he hadn't wanted to see all of this. His own feelings for Sheppard had made him turn a blind eye on the signs Rodney gave away whenever Sheppard was around – and the fact that the dark-haired colonel always reacted in the same way to Todd himself as Rodney reacted to Sheppard. With his superior vision and sense of smell, he could easily detect the desire Sheppard felt for him, regardless of the human's attempts to keep his longing and passion to himself. Knowing that his own desire for the colonel was returned with the same passion, Todd hadn't cared about anything else, and surely not about the feelings of Dr. McKay, the genius who was far too talkative and unnerving for his liking.

Now that he and Rodney had become friends and the scientist had even opened his mind for him, Todd did care about his cherished human Hive brother not getting hurt, and he was torn between his wish to experience their mental bonding again and his fear that Rodney would turn his back on him when he learned that Todd knew about his best kept secret.

When the morning dawned, Todd still didn't know what to do, and before he got the chance to make up his mind about what to do next, two things happened that thwarted all of his possible plans.

Rodney canceled their date for the next evening, and Sheppard returned from Earth a couple of hours later, coming to see Todd in his quarters in the evening and confront him with his knowledge about Todd's regular visits in Rodney's quarters.

*~*~*

Todd had worked with Carson the whole day again, distracted by the question whether or not he should approach the delicate topic and let Rodney know that he was aware of his feelings for John or rather play the ignorant one. The Scottish physician had watched him from the side now and then, but thankfully not commented on his state, just repeated his offer that he was there if Todd needed someone he could talk to confidentially.

Keeping Rodney company during his lunch break and talk about chess or their respective scientific problems with each other had become a nice and regular habit over the past two weeks as well, and Todd was grateful that things weren't awkward between them after the intimacy had shared during their first telepathic connection.

“I have to cancel our evening tonight, Todd,” Rodney said around his mouth full of dessert all of a sudden, and Todd, who had watched another giggling couple kissing under the mistletoe that was hanging from the wall over the door, looked at him, fearing that Rodney didn't want to see him any longer because he regretted that he'd invited him into his mind.

“I see.” he accepted the rebuke in a controlled and shallow voice, and Rodney frowned at his suddenly so reserved behavior.

“What's wrong, Todd?” he asked, and Todd straightened his posture.

“I understand that you regret your offer and do not wish to spend time alone with me in the future,” he clarified, and Rodney's frown deepened.

“What?! Oh, no, that's not why I have to postpone our evening to another time. Our allies, the Bredarii, have problems with their energy system, and it threatens to fail completely. I don't know how much time it'll take me to repair it, and I think that I'll be dead on my feet after my return to Atlantis. I had the hope that I could take you with me, but Sheppard is coming back today, and he was very clear that he expects you to be in the city when he returns.”

That was entirely new to Todd, and he drew his brow-ridges together in astonishment. “I haven't been informed about his imminent return,” he said, and he felt hurt and angry that neither Mr. Woolsey, nor anyone else had bothered to tell him that Sheppard's return to the city was due after two very long and lonely weeks. Well, not that lonely considering that he and Rodney had spent most of the evenings together, but as he'd only agreed to staying in Atlantis because of a certain hazel-eyed colonel, Sheppard could have had the decency to send a note that he would come back again.

Rodney sighed in frustration. “Yes, he's finally coming back after having been away for more than two weeks, all in all. Mr. Woolsey just told me half an hour ago as he didn't know it sooner himself, and he requested that I would tell you the good news as he knew that we would see each other during lunch anyway. And to add to all the work I have to do here in Atlantis, today of all days I have to go off world to make sure that the Bredarii won't sit in the dark and without heaters in the middle of the worst winter in about hundred years.”

Todd allowed himself to relax when he learned that Woolsey yet had thought of him and not wanted to keep that important news a secret from him, and he offered his human brother a sympathetic smile. “You are not the man to let them down, Rodney, no matter how much you're complaining about the unfortunate timing.”

“Hmm, I fear you're right with that.” Rodney paused, giving Todd a strange and thoughtful look. “But it doesn't matter anyway. It's not me Sheppard longs to see after that long time, is it? Say hello to him from me when he visits you, will you, Todd?” He took his tray and stood before Todd had recovered from his surprise, and all the Wraith could do was look after him when Rodney left the mess hall to help their desperate allies repair their energy system, for once unaware and not caring about the mistrustful and hateful looks so many other New Lanteans were shooting in his direction.

*~*~*

Todd spent the rest of the day in the solitude of his quarters to wait for Sheppard. He reached out with his mental feelers to check the atmosphere in Atlantis, and the mood of the residents of the city was even brighter than it already was because of the forthcoming Christmas holiday, telling him that John Sheppard must indeed already be back in Atlantis, probably reporting to Woolsey and settling in again after his visit on Earth.

He was too nervous to sit and mediate like he would normally do, pacing back and forth in the spacious room like a caged predator and waiting for the door chime to sound.

When it finally did, he flinched, even though he had awaited the visitor before his door anxiously.

“Come in,” he called, and the door whooshed to the side to reveal the familiar figure of the dark-haired colonel leaning casually against the door frame.

Todd stood in the middle of the room like frozen in place and with his feet glued to the floor, and the rush of emotions surging through him at the side of this man left him breathless for a heartbeat.

“Ahhh, Shepparrrrd, you're back. I hope that your brother is well again,” he eventually brought out, grateful that his voice didn't betray his true emotions as he met the man's silent glance.

Sheppard regarded him with slightly narrowed eyes for a moment before his lips twitched into a brief crooked smile. He pushed himself away from the door frame and walked into Todd's quarters with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Hi, Todd. Yes, I am, and yes, Dave is much better, thanks.” He moved casually and carefree, his right hand grazing absently the backrest of one of the two chairs that belonged to Todd's furniture in these quarters. “I've heard that you've been spending a lot of time with Rodney while I was away.”

Trust the man not to beat around the bush and come straight to the point of what he wanted to know. Sheppard didn't look at him, and there was a sly undertone in his voice.

“This is correct, Sheppard. Dr. McKay offered to teach me chess.” Todd watched him carefully, and the change in Sheppard's scent when his heartbeat sped up and his desire colored his skin with warmth told him everything he needed to know and what he'd been hoping for so desperately.

“Chess?!” The fascinating human who occupied Todd's thoughts so often sounded surprised, and he came to a halt before the Wraith, standing so close that they were almost touching. “Well, that wasn't what I'd expected, but I must say that I'm glad about it,” the human murmured more to himself, and Todd tilted his head in curiosity.

“I see. What did you expect, then?”

Sheppard refused to meet his eyes for a few more seconds, but then he looked up, gazing at him under thick dark lashes.

“Considering how he's always looking at you whenever he thinks that no one is noticing it, I thought that you two would be busied with... hmm 'other'... things.”

“What kind of things, Sheppard?” Todd could feel his blood drum in his veins as his long suppressed passion broke free with violent force, his heart beating hard and fast against his ribcage. Sheppard's eyes were dark, the hazel-green irises hardly visible any longer, and the pheromones of male arousal perfumed the air.

“Things like this, Todd,” he gave back, his voice hoarse and raw now, and he grabbed fistfuls of Todd's heavy black coat with both hands and pulled him in to press his lips onto the Wraith's mouth in a first fierce and bruising kiss.

*~*~*

Later, they lay side by side on the bed that belonged to Todd's quarters, limbs heavy with pleasant exhaustion and satisfaction.

Sheppard's head was resting on Todd's shoulder, and he was drawing idle patterns on his bare chest with his fingertips, following lazily the black lines of the tattoos that were adorning the green-grayish Wraith skin.

“I must admit that I did not see this coming, Sheppard. What was it that made you give in to your desire for me after all the years we know each other eventually?” Todd asked, carding with the long clawed fingers of his off hand through Sheppard's tousled dark hair.

“I'm not entirely sure. I've been thinking of moving things further along between us for a while, and my condition that you stay in Atlantis for several weeks was partly rather selfish. But then I was called to that rescue mission where I couldn't take you with me because the Arkonians have sworn to kill each Wraith setting foot in their world and would have tried to kill you regardless of our alliance. It took longer than I'd hoped it would, and when I came back here, Richard was already waiting to tell me that Dave had had an accident and they didn't know whether or not he would survive. We're not really close, but he's my brother, and I'd already come too late to see my father one last time before he passed away, so I had to go and see Dave at least.”

“I understand,” Todd agreed, and he really did. He cared deeply about John, and he understood and respected the bonds of family. They were not the same as the bond between Hive brothers, couldn't be the same because nothing was comparable to the mental coalescence of the Hive bond, but it was the closest thing head blind humans could have with each other, and Todd didn't expect Sheppard to ignore such a family bond for his sake.

“We're closer now, Dave and I,” Sheppard mused, craning his head to peer at Todd and catch a glimpse of his face that was hidden in dark shadows of the night. “So you knew about my attraction to you? What gave me away?” he wanted to know, but it was more a rhetorical question. They had been dancing around each other since their first fateful encounter, and especially since their return to Pegasus from Earth, when Sheppard had slowly but unmistakably given up his pretense that all he felt for Todd was hate and contempt.

“Your scent, the way your pupils dilated and your nostrils flared. Your constant threats to kill me with the next best opportunity and yet you always came to my help and rescue. Your looks. It wouldn't be obvious to another human, but to a Wraith, the signs you gave away were clear about your true feelings.”

“Hmm, I have to keep that in mind.” Sheppard grumbled, but he grinned his crooked grin.

“You have desired me for a long time, Sheppard, but why now of all times?” Todd was pressing the issue, because he really wanted to know the answer to that question after all he'd gone through alone among humans who still hated and mistrusted him.

“I had a lot of time to think while I was sitting at Dave's sick bed. I got regular reports from Atlantis, and Major Lorne kept me informed about your doing. He told me that you were spending a lot of time with Rodney all of a sudden, visiting him in his quarters, and well...” his voice trailed off, and Todd could see his cheeks turning warm and red in the darkness.

“I guess I wanted to stake my claim before someone else would do it.”

“My relationship with Rodney is not of that kind of nature,” Todd assured him, but Sheppard's words from earlier were still in his ears – that Rodney was looking at him in a special way when he thought that no one was seeing it. Todd had been so fixated on the man lying next to him in his bed now that he had never paid attention to anyone else. Ronon Dex hated him, that was perfectly clear, and Teyla Emmagan respected and begrudgingly accepted him, but she certainly didn't feel any love or desire for him. Carson Beckett was calling him 'lad' now and then, which was pretty weird considering that Todd was the much older one, but it also showed that the Scotsman had come to care about him and not see him as a lethal enemy any longer.

Rodney had always only been a similar genius mind to Todd though, at least until two weeks ago, and he'd been engaged with Dr. Keller during their time on Earth, so things had seemed to be clear.

Now that they had become friends and Todd knew about Rodney's hidden feelings for Sheppard, it was more than a surprise to hear that the blue-eyed scientist might nurse a secret attraction for him as well. Their mental bond had still been rather superficial because Todd hadn't wanted to overwhelm his human brother, and if Rodney wasn't even aware of his feelings for Todd, then they lay buried deep under the emotions he could allow himself to show and display and were not detectable without a deeper telepathic connection.

Todd wasn't the one to spy on a friend who'd made him such a generous gift like Rodney had done the previous day, and he hadn't been roaming around in his mind and tried to learn about his secrets, so Sheppard might actually be right with his assumption.

“So you two were playing chess with each other?” John's next words startled him out of his contemplation, and Todd nodded his head, his fingers never faltering in their gentle stroking.

“It's an interesting game for sure. Challenging even for a Wraith mind with our photographic memory.” He paused. “I think as we were both feeling lonely, spending time together was natural. He trusted me enough to welcome me in his quarters, and we talked, drank wine and played chess. It filled the emptiness inside my head where usually the Hive bond with my brethren is.”

“Yes, you two have a lot in common, that's for sure. I'd like to watch you play chess, two brilliant minds competing with each other.” John stated, and Todd snorted.

“I heard rumors that your mind is not that dull either, Sheppard. You're good at hiding your intelligence from less attentive people, but you've never been able to fool me. Rodney said that you play chess, too.”

“Yeah, sometimes. And sometimes, I even let him win.” Sheppard grinned at him. “But don't tell him.”

“My lips are sealed, human,” Todd promised, and the word 'lips' reminded his human companion that there were a lot of things they could do while the night was still young. When Sheppard moved closer and his hand traveled downwards on his body, the Wraith didn't have any complaints but pulled his eager lover close again.

Their lips found each other in a passionate kiss, and for the next hour, they found much better things to do than talk about chess.

*~*~*

Sheppard was still lying next to him when Todd woke up the next morning, and together they made their way to the mess hall to have breakfast in Sheppard's case, and some water in Todd's. This time it didn't bother Todd when a giggling Anne Teldy kissed a totally stunned and shocked Dr. Zalenka under the mistletoe, because Sheppard was sitting opposite him and grinning at him with a wink of his eye. He smiled back and dwelt in the memory of their shared passion for a moment, thinking that being stuck in Atlantis was not as bad now as it had been at the beginning.

Rodney returned from the Bredarii several hours later, and he withdrew into his quarters instantly to sleep for the rest of the day and half of the next one as well. Todd didn't get much time to miss him though, because Sheppard had apparently been serious about wanting to stake his claim for all the others to see, and he refused to leave Todd for more than the minimum of time he needed to see to his own duties.

The next couple of days passed by quickly, Todd's nights filled with passion and his days filled with work, and it took him some time to realize that Rodney was avoiding him and Sheppard. They'd seen each other in the mess hall a few times, and his friend had smiled at him and said that he was happy for how things had turned out for Todd, but each time the Wraith suggested that they'd spend some time and play chess or so, Rodney declined his offer and pretended that he was too busied with work for that.

The blue-eyed scientist also avoided Sheppard as John told him on one night, and no matter how hard he tried to catch him and talk to him, Rodney would always find a way to escape.

Christmas Eve was dawning brightly, and the mess hall was buzzing with activity again when Todd and John entered it to grab a quick lunch for the colonel. Todd had accompanied him on an off-world mission to one of Michael's forgotten outposts the previous day, and they'd had a run-in with some Genii renegades which had opened fire at them the second they'd come into sight. The Wraith had used the opportunity to restore his energy supplies thoroughly, and for the first time he'd done so without John looking angry and disgusted because of his essential need to feed.

There hadn't been anything useful they could bring back to Atlantis in the deserted labs, but Todd had been happy to leave Atlantis for a while and distract himself from his worries about Rodney's changed behavior towards Sheppard and himself, now that he and John were more than just brothers-in-arms and allies. Not to mention that it was always thrilling to watch his human in action and fight together with him side by side. The warrior in Todd had really missed that, and John had obviously missed being on a mission together with him as well, because he was in a really good mood since their return to the city and surprisingly talkative.

“The feelings between the two of you are mutual, aren't they? He's not the only one feeling this special attraction, right?”

Todd hadn't realized that he'd been staring at Rodney across the mess hall, and he flinched when John's voice sounded next to his ear all of a sudden. Two nights ago, he'd finally told John about the mental bond he'd shared with Rodney, and his human mate had reacted to that revelation much better than the Wraith had expected him to do.

“Nothing happened between us, Sheppard,” Todd felt the need to point out once more, but Sheppard only shrugged his shoulders.

“I didn't say that it did. Just that you feel attracted to him, too.” They were sitting far away enough from prying ears and eyes to have such a conversation in the mess hall, and apart from that, the other New Lanteans were too busied with Christmas and kissing under the mistletoe to pay attention to them anyway.

“As you do, Sheppard,” Todd now countered, and the colonel shrugged again, offering another crooked smile to his Wraith.

“I probably do, yes. Before my arrival in Atlantis, during my time in the Air Force on Earth, admitting openly that I always felt attracted to men was out of the question, and I really loved Nancy. Hiding my true feelings had become such a habit to me that I didn't change anything about that for a long time after our arrival here, and I actually didn't think much about it either.

We were all too busied with staying alive and fighting against your kin to think seriously about any kind of serious relationships. I guess it was the same for Rodney. He never indicated that he could be interested in men, and so it was clear to me that we would never be more than colleagues and friends. I still remember his crush on Colonel Carter, or when he dated Katie and then Keller. It took me some time to notice how he reacted to you, and at first I thought it was just because he respected you as a fellow scientist, but when Lorne told me that you had become his regular visitor, I couldn't help but feel jealous of him.”

Sheppard went silent, and his gaze warned Todd not to make any smug comment on John's admission that he'd been jealous of Rodney.

“He looks so lonely and unhappy,” was all he said therefore after a quick glance at the genius scientist, and John sighed and nodded his head.

“Yes, he does, but he's too stubborn to admit it, and tonight, when everyone is celebrating Christmas and enjoying themselves on the party here in the mess hall, it will be even worse for him. He'll be sitting alone in his quarters or lock himself in his lab to work all through the night.”

“We can't let him do this, Sheppard,” Todd observed, and his mate nodded his head, his eyes sparkling with both anticipation and determination.

“We won't, Todd. He's not the only one who can be stubborn, and he should know that he can never stand any chance against our united forces.”

He looked at Todd, and Todd inclined his head with a wolfish grin of his own.

“Sounds like a good plan to me, Sheppard,” he agreed, and if he'd been human, he would have rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the forthcoming evening.

*~*~*

Sheppard had been right with his guess that Rodney would stay away from the Christmas party that was already in full swing when they checked the mess hall later that evening, and his lab was dark and abandoned as well – which made it easier for them to carry out their plans for the night.

Rodney didn't answer to the door chime for several minutes either, but Todd could hear him moving around behind the locked door, and John finally lost his patience and connected with the sentient city to make Atlantis open the door for him. Whether it was because Atlantis sensed Rodney's loneliness or simply because she liked Sheppard was hard to tell, but she did open the door despite the scientist's obvious wish to be alone and dwell in his misery.

“Can you respect a man's wish not to be disturbed?” Rodney grumbled when John strode into his quarters with Todd in tow, but he didn't sound really angry, more exhausted and resigned.

“We could – if it was your actual wish to be alone. But you're simply hiding here because you think that no one's caring about you, and we're here to show you that you're wrong with that.” Sheppard raised the three bottles with beer he was carrying, and Rodney's gaze flickered back and forth between him and Todd.

“You could at least have brought some proper champagne,” he complained at last, and John exchanged a content look with Todd before he grinned at his friend.

“I could have, but fortunately you prefer beer over champagne just like I'm doing. Todd is okay with both as long as he gets to drink the alcohol with us, so stop whining, McKay. Todd is our guest, and he requested to see the two of us play chess.”

Rodney resigned himself to his fate and brought the chess board to the table, glancing reproachfully at Todd, but the Wraith could see that he was secretly glad about their visit and just tilted his head with a hiss in typical Wraith manner. For years, such behavior had made Rodney flinch and run instantly, but times had changed thoroughly, and his challenge just earned him an eye-roll and an unimpressed snort from his friend.

Todd couldn't be more pleased about Rodney's fearless reaction and leaned back in his chair to watch his two favorite humans play chess for the next hour.

“Won!” the blue-eyed scientist exclaimed some time later triumphantly, and a small tender smile was playing around the Wraith's lips as he folded his arms before his chest comfortably, enjoying how both men stared at each other with heated glares, neither of them willing to backpedal.

“Only because I let you,” John objected after a minute or so, and Rodney pulled an indignant face.

“You might have passed the mensa test, but you still have nothing on me.” Rodney paused, glancing back and forth between them again. “So the two of you have finally sorted things out between you, haven't you?”

“Yes, we have.” John's face softened, and he became serious. “Todd told me that you offered him a mental connection to make it easier for him while I was away. I want to thank you for that.”

Rodney turned his head away. “You don't need to,” he said to the wall, “it helped me to feel less lonely as much as it helped him.”

“Hmm.” John exchanged another glance with Todd, who was still watching them silently, sensing that this was something Rodney and John had to sort out between themselves before he could join the scene. “I would like to give that a try, too. To give Todd some sense of Hive mind together with you, I mean. If you're okay with that, Rodney.”

“What?!” Rodney blinked and opened his mouth, closing and opening again. His posture was still defensive, but he lifted his chin up and straightened his shoulders, unable to hide his fascination about John's unexpected proposal. “You mean like Todd bonding with us together at the same time? Is that even possible?” he gazed at Todd, and the Wraith nodded.

“It is, Rodney, if you both want that.”

Several emotions flickered over Rodney's expressive features as he contemplated John's wish, and Todd already thought that he would refuse it when the silence between them became longer and longer, but his brave human friend eventually sighed and nodded his head.

“Yes, why not. Let's give it a try. Just for the benefit of scientific research, of course,” he made up his mind, and Todd inhaled the shaky breath he'd been holding.

“Thank you, Rodney, you honor us with your trust.” He gestured to the floor and rose to his feet.

“I suggest that we sit on the floor for that, and we should hold each other by our hands. Physical contact will make it easier for me to connect with you and then reach out for John and pull him into the bond as well.”

The two men nodded and made themselves comfortable on the floor, John with natural grace and Rodney with awkward but eager motions. Todd joined them and took their hands to entwine their fingers, and after a moment, John and Rodney interlaced their fingers as well. The air in Rodney's quarters was heavy with human pheromones and suppressed arousal, and Todd felt himself reacting to it. It distracted him and yet made it easier for him to reach out for Rodney's thoughts.

When he reached out for the human's thread of thoughts, he found the Stargate to be open already, the blue waves of the wormhole fascinating him like it had been the first time he'd connected with Rodney's genius mind.

Todd tightened his loose grip around Rodney's fingers and stepped through the Gate, warmth and a sense of peace and belonging filling his body and mind.

*~*~*

The images Rodney created for their bond were the same as Todd remembered them, but a small detail had changed. It was night again, the meadow stretched beyond the dark horizon at each end, and the silver moon was shining in the center of the dark-blue sky like it had been the first time. But now there was a rather big and bright star twinkling next to the moon, somehow building a real unit with the silver satellite.

It took Todd a moment to realize that he was the star, because it moved whenever he moved, and the Wraith felt deeply touched by the evidence how much he meant to the human he'd come to care so much about himself over the past days and weeks. Sheppard had been right about Rodney's feelings for him, and the three of them were tied together through a bond that went even deeper than the normal bond of Hive brothers.

Rodney was appearing beside him now, smiling at him and wordlessly reaching out with his hand. Todd took it, and then they stood there for a moment, enjoying each other's company without needing to express their feelings with spoken words because they were connected and didn't need spoken words any longer. That was something Todd had noticed right away when they had bonded the first time, that the 'mental Rodney' didn't need to fill silence with his chatter, the real Rodney eventually coming to light in the safety of the territory of his own mind - which he owned and was perfectly in control of unlike to the 'real' physical world where he felt so often like an unwanted outsider and intruder.

 _'Hi again! This time it was easier, wasn't it?'_ Rodney greeted him, and the Wraith smiled down at him.

_'Yes, it was, thank you. The Stargate was already open.'_

_'My Stargate will always be open for you, Todd,'_ Rodney promised him. They were still holding hands, and their minds were connected, their bond deeper and stronger than the first time.

 _'Shall we bring Sheppard here now?'_ Rodney asked after another second, and there was nothing Todd longed more for. He craned his head back to look at the silver moon in the dark sky that was Sheppard, had always been for Rodney and would always be for him from this day on as well.

The ancient Wraith Commander looked at the moon and tightened his gentle grip around the fingers of his human mates, reaching out with his thoughts for the overwhelming presence that was Sheppard's brilliant mind.

*~*~*

_'Oh wow, I didn't expect it to be like that. Where are we?'_ Sheppard turned his head to each side to let his eyes wander around in the beautiful world that was Rodney's creation.

 _'We're in my head,'_ Rodney explained, gazing at Todd for confirmation. The Wraith inclined his head.

 _'Not really in your head, Rodney. You are still able to keep those thoughts and emotions you don't want to share with us to yourself. We're in the imaginative world you have created for our mental bonding. I am collecting and channeling the threads of your thoughts and projecting them here because it is easier for you to remain in your own creation than join mine at the beginning. One day I will take you to my world. John and I are your guests, and you can throw us out whenever you wish to be alone again.'_ Todd explained, and both men looked intrigued but still a bit confused.

 _'It will take some time to get used to this kind of bond and feeling your thoughts,'_ John stated, _'It's totally different from what I remember when your queens tried to force me onto my knees.'_

_'Of course it does, Sheppard. They invaded your mind against your explicit consent and their goal was to control your free will. Nothing like that will ever happen to either of you when we connect.'_

Todd said, and both men relaxed visibly.

 _'We believe you, Todd,'_ John replied for both of them, and the warm feeling inside Todd's abdomen spread out until it he could feel it everywhere, even in his fingertips. It was in the part of his mind that had been empty and aching since his Hive had left, and he could feel it in his physical body as well. His hand-mouth reacted to the closeness of the two men he desired, the slit widening and starting to leak enzyme out of it that coated John's palm.

John and Rodney were both sitting next to him with closed eyes, but a soft moan escaped the colonel's lips and he grabbed Todd's feeding hand tighter, a small shiver running through him. Todd turned his head to look at Rodney, and his flushed face and rapid breathing was proof enough that he could sense Sheppard and Todd's desire for each other and for himself and was reacting to it with a wave of desire of his own.

Their minds were so deeply connected, the bond growing stronger and stronger with every second that passed, their thoughts interweaving and becoming one until Todd was overall surrounded by Rodney and John's thoughts and emotions. He was acutely aware of their closeness, their unique scents that were intermingling to something entirely new and enticing, the touches of their warm hands. He could see them through his eyes and with his mind, and he pulled Sheppard close to kiss him and let his hands roam over his body.

Being bonded like that with two humans was entirely different from the Hive mind he had with his own brethren, but it was as powerful and satisfying, and perhaps even more intense because of the physical desire they shared - and which Todd hadn't felt in such a long time.

Emotions were flowing back and forth between them, and Sheppard opened his mouth to grant him access to it, pulling Rodney closer at the same time. They were half sitting, half kneeling and crouching on the floor with their arms wrapped around each other, the sensation of their touches adding to the excitement Todd experienced through their mental bond. It was a surprise to him how much he wanted Rodney to be a part of his bond with Sheppard, all the three of them united in this special Hive mind he was building with the two so different men right now.

His tongue was licking his way inside John's mouth to explore it once more, and the dark-haired colonel kissed him back hungrily before he drew back all of a sudden to press his lips onto Rodney's mouth in a heated kiss as well. Todd sat back on his heels to watch his two mates kiss one another, and the beautiful and arousing sight let the last shreds of emptiness and loneliness he'd still felt fade completely until they were nothing more than a distant memory.

“Wow, McKay! I've been wanting to do this for a rather long time,” John whispered when they had to part for air again, his eyes dark with lust. He looked like a hunter or predator that had cornered his prey to the enchanted Wraith watching him, his hair even more ruffled than usual, his features suffused and flushed with his strong desire for both males.

“Yes, that was wow,” Rodney murmured, and both men turned their heads to look at Todd now, the mental versions of them as much as the Rodney and John of the real world did. Todd could see the longing in Rodney's blue eyes, the silent question, and he tilted his head and gently cupped the human's neck to pull him in and kiss him as well. He knew that he had to be even more careful with him than he'd had to be with Sheppard when they'd made love for the first time a few days ago, not just because he was Wraith and so much stronger, but also because it was clear to see that Rodney didn't have any experience with physical intimacy when it came to another male.

He waited until the man relaxed in his arm before he deepened their kiss and asked for entrance with the tip of his agile tongue, and he opened his mind widely for his two mates to share the feelings Rodney's shy kiss aroused in him with both of them. His eyes had fallen close when his lips had touched Rodney's for the first time, but he could feel Sheppard watching them like he'd watched him and Rodney kiss each other. Their mental selves were kneeling close together on the meadow under the dark starry sky with the beautiful moon and the big twinkling star next to it, and it was so new even to Todd with his ten thousand years of experience and knowledge of telepathic bonds and Hive mind.

Emotions were flowing between them, and it was hard to tell which emotion belonged to whom as they shared their desire and love through the closest and most intimate connection that could tie living beings together.

Todd closed his eyes and let go of his usual iron self-control and strong guard, held by his two human mates and bathing in the warmth of their embrace.

*~*~*

None of them could tell later how they had made it to Rodney's bedroom and undressed each other on their way, three pair of differently looking hands clumsy in their haste to get rid of the offending garments. Their deep bond helped them and made it more difficult at the same time because it still confused his two eager human lovers to see through their 'real' eyes and with their mind's eyes at the same time. Rodney's thankfully rather large bed and the meadow were their two playgrounds as they were finally naked and crawling onto the mattress with Rodney sandwiched between Todd and John.

The Wraith didn't need to look at Sheppard to know that they were on the same page and united in their wish to make this first time an outstanding and yet safe experience for Rodney as this was totally new to him and he needed consideration and to be guided all the way through it, the real Rodney as much as the incorporeal one who was kneeling on the meadow between them.

 _'I've never done this... with a man, I mean,'_ mental Rodney whispered with another deep blush coloring his face, and John's imaginary self smiled and kissed him onto his cheek.

 _'We know that, Rodney. We'll make this good for you, I promise.'_ he said, and Todd's mental image stroked the human's face and nodded his head.

 _'We are Hive now, John and I will know it if there is something you don't want us to do. Please trust us that we will never harm you.'_ he reassured his blue-eyed human, and Rodney relaxed visibly in both worlds, the physical and the imaginative one.

“I trust you. Both of you. I'm just afraid that I'll do something stupid and disappoint you.”

“You could never disappoint us, Rodney. Just be you, then we'll all be fine.” John murmured huskily, trailing a path of hot kisses along his jawline. He was kneeling behind him, their naked bodies pressed against one another, while Todd was facing him and gently lifting his chin up to kiss him. His right palm was dripping wet with the enzyme, the obvious evidence of his forceful desire for his two lovers. John took his wrist to lick up some of the enzyme and stroke over the gaping feeding slit, coaxing more enzyme out of it with his caresses. His hazel-eyed lover let out a breathless laugh of triumph and contentment, and Todd had a pretty good idea what John was up to when he coated his fingers with a generous amount of enzyme and then reached behind himself with his hand, his hard manhood rubbing against Rodney's back and seeking friction there.

John's left arm was wrapped tightly around Rodney's midsection to hold him close and immobile, and Todd moved closer, eager to join the action and feel the hardness of Rodney's desire for him against his sensitive palm. Rodney's bottom lip was swollen, a small red droplet glistening where Todd's razor-sharp teeth had grazed it in the heat of passion, but the human hadn't even noticed the small wound in his own state of painful arousal and need, too overwhelmed by the outstanding and unique bond he was sharing with his two mates.

Todd kissed the blood away and soothed the tender lip with his tongue, and Rodney moaned into his mouth and pulled him in to deepen their kiss and explore the Wraith's mouth with ardent curiosity. His impressive length was twitching against Todd's fingers when he started to stroke and caress him, using the enzyme as lube as he moved up and down on Rodney's rock-hard cock. He ignored the ache in his own sex and focused his attention on the small sounds of surprise and pleasure Rodney was making deep in his throat, knowing that his patience would be rewarded afterwards.

He could feel Sheppard's eyes on his face while he kissed Rodney with lips, teeth and tongues, and when he let go of Rodney's well-kissed mouth finally, his hazel-eyed human leaned in to press his own mouth onto Todd's while Rodney was watching them now. Their imaginary selves on the meadow under the moon were kissing each other, too, and the double sensation of feeling John's real kiss and the one in his mind sent thrills of pure want through his veins.

His blood was boiling and his primal Wraith instincts to claim his two human lovers as his for everyone to know without any doubts rose to the surface of his mind with full force. He was freshly fed thanks to the unexpected opportunity he'd gotten the previous day, brimming with energy, and he could share easily some of this energy with his mates to seal their already so strong bond like Wraith had done it for millennia.

His longing rippled through their bond, and Todd could see Rodney's eyes widening when the wave of painful longing he felt washed over the man. Rodney's musky scent penetrated Todd's nose, now spiced with his excitement that his own secret wish to truly belong to someone was not in vain like he'd always thought, especially after his breakup with Jennifer Keller.

 _'You really want me as your mate? But I thought that you and John...'_ This deeply connected, it felt natural for Rodney to speak through their bond, another proof that Todd had not been mistaken about him and the true extent of his intelligence and mental abilities. He replied in the only possible way that left no doubts about his feelings and sent another wave of love and longing through their link, a low possessive growl escaping his throat when John reacted in the way he'd hoped that his beloved brother-in arms would do.

“We both want that, McKay!” Sheppard ground out, biting into his earlobe and barking another breathless laugh when Rodney rewarded him with a strangled cry. Todd could see his hand moving frantically behind his back and his hips bucking against Rodney's back in wanton abandon, his eyes only black rounds when he met Todd's glittering dark-golden gaze.

Todd had always been both, a warrior and soldier and a scientist, and Rodney's inspiring and challenging company satisfied his scientific half in the same way as the warrior and Commander inside him craved Sheppard's company, two kindred spirits that understood each other without words and what it meant to be in charge and decide about life and death. Todd needed both of them to feel complete, and it was probably the same for Sheppard, who must be truly tired of having to hide his own intelligence and feelings from his people for the sake of his duties.

Rodney was not the most sociable being, but he was honest and he accepted the people he met the way they were without expecting them to change. He'd been afraid of Todd at the beginning, but he'd never demanded that Todd would stop feeding on humans and starve himself to death. He'd simply accepted that he was Wraith and respected him as a fellow scientist, and from the little Rodney and John had told him about their friendship, the blue-eyed scientist had never expected John to justify himself for being the soldier he was and the decisions he'd had to make as such.

Rodney McKay was the link between John and him, the 'glue' that made Todd's bond with John even stronger, and the Wraith couldn't imagine his relationship without Rodney being a part of it. His hand mouth ached with the need to complete their bond, enzyme coating his palm and Rodney's manhood until it was slippery with it.

Blue eyes were looking at him, and Rodney's features lit up with wondrous happiness. “I want that, too. Sounds pretty good, actually. Official mate of a Wraith Commander. It means that no other Wraith will dare feeding on me in the future, right?” His mouth was grinning stupidly, and Todd kissed his smile from his lips.

“Not if I have a say in that, human!” he growled, and he reached with his off hand between their bodies to wrap it around Rodney's twitching shaft and lift his feeding hand to his chest instead.

Rodney shivered, but it was a shiver of anticipation and not fear. Todd was sending warmth, love and passion through their bond, and his imaginary self was pressing his right hand as gently onto Rodney's sternum as he was doing it in the physical world.

 _'Do it, Todd, make him ours!'_ John's mental voice encouraged him, and he enclosed Todd's left hand with his own to help him getting Rodney off. The man trapped between their hard bodies shook with the sensations coursing through him when Todd started to feed him with pure delicious energy, sharing his own strength and pleasure with him. Life-force was rushing through their bond and into Rodney's body, and his mate cried out again when it became too much and his emotions culminated in the most intensive climax he'd surely ever experienced. His release intermingled with Wraith enzyme when he spurted hot all over Todd and John's fingers and he slumped against Todd's broad chest with a sob, his breath coming out in ragged gasps and groans.

The Wraith drew his hand back slowly and gently, and John caught Rodney's weight and murmured unintelligible words into his damp hair and his ear. They knelt like that on the bed and the meadow for a rather long time, Rodney's satisfaction palpable through their Hive bond and easing the ache of John and Todd's unfulfilled desire to something bearable.

“Wow, oh my...” Rodney's face was filled with bliss, and he smiled drowsily. “You're right, John, this is indescribable.” He lifted his head from where it had rested on Todd's shoulder, nestled against his neck and his hopelessly tousled mane. “It's your turn now, guys. Give me something nice to watch,” he demanded, his voice still slurred with the pleasure he'd just experienced, and he didn't need to say that twice.

Todd had just lowered his exhausted blue-eyed human onto the mattress and the mental Rodney had made himself comfortable on the meadow next to them when John pushed hard against his shoulders and he lost his balance and fell back onto the bed. In the next second John was all over him and straddling him to impale himself on the Wraith's hard member, his dark gaze predatory and fierce and his mouth curling into a possessive hiss.

Todd lay flat on his back and looked up at the man with the hazel eyes and the dark hair, the man who'd become his destiny in the same minute when he'd looked into those fascinating hazel-green depths for the first time and had seen himself there. They were so much more than just kindred spirits, two halves of the same soul and heart, and now Rodney belonged to them as well, completing their bond and making them whole.

Todd was surrounded by the warmth of John's smooth silken walls and he pushed his hips upwards to meet his hard and fast thrusts with the same urgency and passion. The emptiness in his mind that had pained him for so long was gone, replaced by the new Hive bond he'd built with his two human mates. It made him feel strong and invincible, finally and truly like the powerful Wraith Commander again.

Rodney snuggled closer to his side, and Todd turned his head to kiss him fiercely, chasing his release as he sped up his powerful thrusts and pulled Sheppard down. The colonel obeyed with a growl and bent down, bracing his hands against the pillow on each side of Todd's head. Rodney snaked his hand in between to stroke John's neglected cock when Todd flexed the fingers of his feeding hand and covered the skin white scars on Sheppard's sternum with his palm. The stinger of his feeding organ snapped out of the slit when he touched warm and bare human skin, biting down to taste the most delicious life he'd ever tasted for a second time. Sheppard didn't object when Todd suckled gently at the steady stream of life coursing through his body, sensing through their still so deep mental bond that his Wraith had no intention to harm him in any way - but just wanted the sealing of their mating bond to go both ways. One day, when Rodney was more experienced and sure of himself, he would do the same with him, but for now it was perfect as it could be.

He reversed the process when he felt his beloved human getting close, the doubled stimulation of Todd hitting his prostate with each thrust and Rodney's ardent strokes pushing John towards the edge quickly and unstoppably. The sweet ache of Todd's feeding intermingled with his pleasure, and the Wraith's desire flowing through their Hive bond let John's pleasure mount to unknown heights.

John threw his head back and voiced his satisfaction with a loud shout when he hit his peak right when Todd pushed back into him what he'd taken and more, his body shaking through the throes of passion with each new wave of energy shoved into him. Rodney's warm breath ghosted over Todd's cheek, their faces so close that his could feel Rodney's stubble tickling at his smooth and hairless jawline. His golden cat's eyes were glued to John's handsome features, suffused with love and satisfaction as he succumbed to his forceful release.

Todd let go of his own self-control and followed him over the edge with the next thrust, painting Sheppard's crumbling walls with his seed. Each Wraith would know that these men were his rightful mates in the future, untouchable because of the sacred bond that tied them together inseparably from this day on.

The Wraith wrapped his arms tightly and protectively around his hazel-eyed human when John stilled his motions and dropped down on him with a shaky sigh, stroking his hair soothingly. Rodney lying at his side made small noises that almost sounded like a Wraith's purring, and he pulled the covers over their cooling bodies and wrapped his free arm around Sheppard's sweaty back.

Their mental selves lay on the meadow, limbs intertwined and their breathing in perfect sync, and Todd felt calm and peaceful, their Hive bond chasing the dark shadows away that had accompanied him since his escape from Kolya's bunker with John. He'd fought against these dark shadows and memories so hard, but nothing had made them leave him alone, not even the craved familiar Hive mind he shared with his brethren.

Todd focused on them, and when John and Rodney sensed what he was doing, they did the same, watching the shadows starting to whirl, slowly at first, but then faster and faster, like mists that were chased away by the rising warm morning sun. They became transparent, more and more, tearing apart until they were finally invisible, gone for good.

 _'Was that us?'_ the Rodney lying in his arms on the soft green grass asked, and John lying on his other side smiled sleepily against Todd's throat. The Wraith hummed in agreement, and Rodney chuckled happily.

 _'I could get used to this Hive mind thing,'_ he stated, _'I understand now why you were missing it so much.'_

 _'Yes, the bond of Hive brothers is not comparable to anything else,'_ Todd agreed, bathing in the warmth of the humans wrapped around him. Wraith didn't mind the cold like humans did, but there had been a cold deep inside his bones and his heart, and nothing had made the cold go away, neither the hot midday sun, nor the heater in his quarters working with full power.

 _'We're Hive now, too, aren't we?'_ Rodney wanted to know, and it wasn't a real question.

“Yes, we are. Mates and Hive. We will always be connected, even when we are light years apart.” Todd gently and carefully disconnected their minds as humans were not capable of being mentally bonded for too long like Wraith, but the memory of their Hive mind was still there when he was alone in his head again, and he didn't feel empty and lonely any longer.

Rodney and John snuggled close to him, lacing their fingers together on his stomach, their eyes closing of their own accord when the need for sleep became too strong to fight against it any longer.

“Merry Christmas to you two,” John yawned, and Rodney sighed happily.

“Yes, Merry Christmas. Christmas is not _that_ bad when I think about it. Maybe we could establish a new Christmas tradition and spend each Christmas like this one in the future?” he murmured, already half asleep.

“Sounds like a good plan, human. A special human and Wraith Christmas tradition. Now go to sleep, I'll watch over you,” Todd said, and the even breaths coming from his left and his right side soon after that told him that his mates were sound asleep.

The Wraith closed his eyes and let his mind wander around, his mental feelers reaching out far beyond the walls of the Ancient City. He grazed the minds of the New Lanteans that were still celebrating in the mess hall, their thoughts much easier to detect than usually because of their happy mood and the alcohol that lowered their barriers. Todd didn't linger for long though, traveling as far as he could reach out, and there it was, the familiar touch of his faithful second-in-command, his thoughts flashing with joy when he felt his Commander's mind touch his for a short precious moments.

They were still too far away from each other to establish a lasting connection, but his Hive was on their way back to Atlantis, coming home again after weeks, and his crew was healthy and well-fed.

Todd drew back from the familiar Hive mind again, looking down at his two sleeping mates. Their features were relaxed in their sleep, and his heart swell with love for these two so different men, both unique and special to him in their own ways.

“Merry Christmas, Rodney, Merry Christmas, John,” he murmured into the peaceful silence that was filling the room, and his lips curled into a smile when he relaxed and closed his eyes.

He'd been a lonesome warrior for years, even among his own kin, so different from his brethren because of the traumatic experiences he'd made in the captivity of the Genii, but with John and Rodney by his side and his faithful Hive returning to him, Todd wouldn't be alone any longer.

A new era had begun tonight, for Wraith and humans, an era that would finally bring peace to the whole Pegasus Galaxy, and to all beings living in this small and beautiful galaxy.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fanart for Empty Rooms, Lonely Hearts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29673450) by [picturae (Eos_x)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eos_x/pseuds/picturae)




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